


A Little Secret

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Animals, Bonding, Damian is good with pets, Damian loves animals, Ducklings - Freeform, Ducks, Fluff, Gen, SECRET DUCK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 10:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12209139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: Who knew telling your best friend about your newest pet would be such a bad idea?





	A Little Secret

Damian was on a mission, one that required the utmost silence and stealth. It was imperative he stay quiet as he inched through the house, his hands tight around his stomach to keep his jacket from moving.

He stepped lightly on the stairs, counting his way up to the single one that always squeaked, careful to step over it. He would be silent the whole way-- _chirp_.

“Shush.” Damian whispered at his chest, hand moving up to press at his precious cargo, gently petting where he thought the animal’s head was.

“Damian? Practicing sneaking again?” Father stood atop the stairs with an amused look on his face.

Damian did his best not to blanch. “One can never practice too much, Father.”

“Hrn, don’t sneak up on Tim again.”

Damian shrugged, “Of course not, I have ascertained that no matter how many times I attempt to assist his training, he will not listen.”

“I’m not sure that’s the reason he doesn’t like you surprising him.” his father said, his lips half quirked into a real smile.

Before Damian could comment further his cargo reminded him of their presence, a muffled chirping coming from his jacket. His father’s smile faded.

“Damian, what was that noise?”

“Nothing to worry yourself over. It is simply the timer I set to alert me of when I’d passed my target sneak time.” Damian said, tightening his arms.

The chirping started again, and he rubbed a thumb towards the animals in his jacket, willing them to silence.

His father raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t take you for one who’d set bird sounds as a ringtone.”

Damian scowled, hoping the familiar motion would add credence to his words, “Grayson set it, he believed it to be a good joke.”

Father nodded, accepting the excuse easily. Damian made a mental note to blame more things on Grayson. It was easy to assume he would do a lot of the things Damian refused to admit enjoying. Blaming his influence would ease some of Damian’s embarrassment if he was ever caught. Grayson would be happy enough to accept blame, assuming he was in some way the true source of influence.

His chest chirped again and Damian cleared his throat. “I really must be on my way, Father.” he said, before pushing past Bruce and into the hallway beyond.

He didn’t look back as he hurried to his room, and kicked the door shut behind him. Alfred looked up from the spot where he was curled on the bed and watched him as Damian hurried to his dresser, pulling the bottom drawer open with a hand and shaking his jacket bottom open.

Four yellow, slightly bedraggled, chicks fell out and into his folded shirts. The tiny birds scrambled around, finding their bearings in the drawer as Damian grinned down at them.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I’m pretty sure you can’t keep one duck, let alone a whole bunch a secret for long, Damian.” Jon said as he leaned over the drawer, peering inside at the tiny yellow balls of fluff chirping avidly up at him.

“I have managed it for a week, I don’t see why longer would be a problem.” Damian said.

He was proud of his feat. Not many people could say they’d hidden four living creatures under the Batman’s nose for over a week. He’d even snuck them right past his father, with only the flimsiest of lies. In that week he’d taken excellent care of each of the birds, making sure they were cleaner and better fed than they’d been when he’d found them.

He turned his attention onto Jon, and read his face immediately. “Don’t look at me that way.” he said, “I do not care how many animals you have attempted to hide from your parents, I have been trained for this.”

“To hide ducks?”

Damian scoffed, “Of course not, I was, however, trained to hide precious secrets, and these fit that criteria.”

He glanced down at the chirping birds and smiled, they’d taken a liking to him over the week. Excitedly piling up on themselves as he’d come closer. Damian had even convinced Alfred to leave them alone. After the cat had given them hungry eyes Damian had sat his pet down and had words with it over the treatment of friends.

Jon gave him a look that said he’d revealed a little too much. From the dimples in Jon’s cheeks Damian was certain it had nothing to do with his assassin background, and more to do with his admittance that the ducklings were precious. Which they were, all animals were. Jon would simply take the word out of proportion.  

“I don’t know why I invited you here if you were only going to berate me for my decision.” Damian added, hoping to divert the conversation.

He had been happy, even excited to share his latest pets with Jon. If the young alien had any redeemable qualities they included his appreciation for animals. Damian had learned that Jon's love of them almost matched Damian’s. He had hoped that his friend would be just as enamored with the ducklings as Damian had been when he’d found them huddled, motherless, in a back alley far away from any good source of water.

“You know, Damian, ducklings grow.” Jon said, giving Damian an out for the moment. His face said he wasn’t done with Damian’s slip.

He’d reached in and pulled out one of the chirping animals, two fingers rubbing at the yellow fuzz on the top of the duckling’s head. It leaned into his touch, eyes closing at the gentle attention.

“Tt, of course they do. I should think that you of all people would know that.”

Jon rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you because they won’t fit in that drawer forever.” 

“Plus,” came a voice from the door, prompting both boys to turn to find Dick standing in Damian’s now open door, “ducklings have a lot of energy they need to release.”

“Grayson.” Damian breathed, the moment Jon spoke up, triumph in his voice.

“Told ya’.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Damian was almost certain this was a bad idea. He had been firm with Grayson and Jon on the matter of secrecy, and yet the only person he was sure still did not know of the ducklings existence was his father. Word of Damian collecting animals was as bad as gossip to his family, it spread like fire, and had called each of his siblings, and Brown to the manor.

They were lucky, Damian decided, that both Father and Pennyworth were away at the moment. Taking care of company business, and to be gone for a few hours more at least. There was no way this... contraption would have made it past planning if either had been available.

Damian had refused to assist with the creation of the device. A miniature waterslide made to accommodate the ducklings size. Damian was still unsure of how Drake had managed to turn it into a pseudo fountain in such a short time.

He sat, with a protective hand around the padded box Grayson had brought for the ducklings, ready to snatch it and run if any of his siblings even suggested something dangerous for the animals. He was fairly certain the danger wouldn’t be intentional, but in fun. Still, Damian did not wish for the ducklings to be hurt because of ‘fun’.

“Alright, Damian I think it’s ready.” Dick said, turning to face him.

Damian pressed his lips together and eyed the slide with a wary eye. “Did you test it? To ensure it is safe?”

“Come on Damian. It’s a slide, for ducks. There’s no way we could mess that up.” Tim said.

Jason held up a hand, “No, the kids right, we should test it. Gimme a sec.” with that he hurried out of the living room, leaving everyone else with the sound of rushing water and chirping birds.

“While we’re waiting, I can get the camera set up. This is sure to go viral.” Steph said, pulling her phone out.

“You will not use my pets for internet fame, Brown.” Damian said.

She flipped a strand of hair off her shoulder, “As if you don’t use them for that yourself. I’ve seen your instagram, Baby Bat, and I know your follower count.”

Damian ruffled at her threat, and scooted the box another inch away from her.

“You have an instagram account?” Jon asked, turning to face Damian.

His friend had insisted on staying for the fun the moment Dick called Tim with the news. Damian had hoped Jon would be backup, but too soon he’d fallen prey to the charms of Damian’s family, leaving him the only one mildly worried about being caught with the ducklings, and about their safety in using the contraption so hastily built by his siblings.

He was saved from answering by Jason bounding back in, a tennis ball in his hand. He dropped the ball onto the slide and they watched it slip down, and bounce lightly against the rubber boundary in the bottom pool.

Damian examined it before nodding his blessing. “Fine. They may try it.” he said. 

The cheer that went up from his siblings almost made him blush, and to hide it he scooped up the box and carried it to the slide, tilting it so the ducklings could clamber out onto the top portion of the slide. They shuffled around for a bit, until one bumped into the other and it went sliding down to the bottom, landing with a splash and surprised squawk. Soon after the other three followed, and they started the climb back up to the top, sliding with abandon down the device before splashing playfully at the bottom.

Damian had to admit it was adorable, not that he would audibly say anything. His family and Jon were doing enough of that for him. Jon and Steph toghether had probably both recorded a solid half hour of the ducklings playing, and Cass hadn’t taken her eyes off the the entire time they’d been on the slide.

“I was surprised to find everyone’s cars parked out front. Now all I want to know is what’s going on?” Bruce’s voice made everyone turn as he walked into the room, tie half undone, and jacket slung over one arm.

Damian looked at Dick who didn’t seem to know what to say for once, and all chatter stopped until Jason jumped in.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

“Yeah, this is-” Tim broke off, “for a case.” he added.

“Really?” Bruce asked, “Because to me, it looks like you all have built a duckling slide in my living room.”

Damian swallowed. This had been a very bad idea. He glanced at the ducklings, still playing on the slide. He had the sudden urge to scoop them up and run, but that wouldn’t help anyone. 

“Come, and watch.” Cass said, standing to pull Bruce over. “Damian’s pets are cute.”

“I see.” Bruce said, and gave Damian a knowing smile that told him he’d realized the source of Damian’s chirping from the other day.

“He found them on patrol.” She said, kneeling by them again, reaching a hand out to brush against one of the chicks.

Bruce watched them for a moment before looking at Damian, “Yeah?” he asked.

“He saved them.” she added.

“We’ve all taken quite a shine to them already.” Dick added.

“Hmm.” Bruce said, before standing. “Clean this up, I won’t have a duck slide in my livingroom. Damian, can I speak with you?”

Damian felt his stomach drop. The next thing out of his father’s mouth could be a demand to have the ducklings be removed from the house, or worse, to make Damian give them away. He nodded and followed his father out of the room, glancing at the ducks and swallowing. Grayson gave him a hopeful smile and a thumbs up.

The moment they were out of earshot Damian jumped in, “Father, I know ducklings are a large responsibility, but as you have seen with my other pets, I am capable of caring for them.”

They’d stopped in the hallway, Father watching him with an unreadable expression.

“Damian, ducks don’t belong in the house.” His father said, gently.

He had feared this, but Father had already allowed so much. He shouldn’t ask for more, not when he’d been given everything else he’d asked for. He still couldn’t stop the pang of regret that rested in his stomach.  

“I understand. But, allow me to choose their new home at least.”

His father shook his head, “Damian, I’m not telling you to get rid of them, just take them outside. They’re not like Alfred or Titus, they thrive in the wild, not a house. We’ve got a big pond where they’ll be happy. Duck’s have lived their in the past.”

Hope flourished in place of the sadness. “Really?”

“Of course. You weren’t wrong, Damian, you are capable of taking care of the ducklings, along with your other pets. You did a pretty good job this week already.”

“You knew?”

His father grinned, “An alarm that makes duck sounds, Damian?”

He flushed, he had been caught, and Father had let it pass. He wondered when his father would have pressed him about the birds.  

“I had hoped you’d tell me about them on your own, what I didn’t expect was the slide in the livingroom.”

“It was an idea, spurred on by Grayson.” Damian said, resisting a smile. “Though, the ducklings enjoyed it. Perhaps I can convince them to install a version of the slide in the pond.”

“Better outside my house than in it.” Bruce told him, “Now let’s go let the others know." 

Damian grinned and lead the way. 


End file.
